Burglar shot by killer farmer Tony Martin breaks silence and says 'he was protecting his home'

A burglar changeable and wounded by husbandman Tony Martin broke his 20-year soundlessness to reveal: "I person nary choler oregon bitterness."

Brendan Fearon, speaking aft Martin's decease aged 80, told however the shooting successful 1999 initially did thing to deter his beingness of crime and helium went connected to re-offend. But the criminal, present 54, told the Mirror however helium was reformed, and Martin's decease was "sad" and the "end of a chapter".

He believes that the reclusive husbandman - who ne'er returned to his location - "probably suffered arsenic overmuch successful his beingness arsenic I have" aft the fearfulness shooting astatine his distant home, saying "I consciousness for him and his family". Brendan was injured during the raid astatine Martin's isolated workplace and his 16-year-old accomplice, Fred Barras, was changeable dead.

The transgression sparked fierce nationalist statement aft Martin was jailed for murder.

But Brendan, who inactive suffers "terrible pain" from the wounds to some his legs, said: "Life’s not been benignant to maine but it was overmuch crueler to small Fred, who mislaid his life, and his family. But I person ne'er felt immoderate bitterness oregon animosity towards that farmer. He did what helium had to bash to support himself and his home.

"I’m not saying helium should person changeable idiosyncratic dormant - that’s incorrect - but helium felt persecuted by america and we shouldn’t person been there. His spot had been robbed 10 times earlier and it was an casual target. I person nary anger."

Teen burglar Fred was killed and Brendan, past 29, wounded aft the brace broke into Martin's location astatine Emneth Hungate connected the Norfolk-Cambridgeshire borderline connected 20 August 1999.

The husbandman was convicted of execution and sentenced successful 2000, but an entreaty reduced the offence to manslaughter connected grounds of diminished responsibility. At his trial, Martin claimed to person been acting successful self-defence portion prosecutors argued helium had anticipated the brace and laic successful hold for them.

He was jailed for 3 years and released successful 2003 and the arguable lawsuit led to a alteration of the instrumentality connected aforesaid defence. Martin ever insisted helium had nary remorse oregon regrets for shooting the teen dormant and ne'er returned to his home, called "Bleak House". He died connected Sunday aft having a changeable successful December past year.

Brendan, who described his co-accused Fred arsenic a "good-hearted small rogue", said helium learned Martin had died aft "someone successful municipality came up to maine and said helium had passed and it was 'the champion happening for him'". Brendan said: "But I didn’t consciousness that. He’s got household and friends retired determination mourning his loss.

"If we’d ne'er gone to his spot helium wouldn’t person committed immoderate crime, determination would person been nary shootings and nary killing. He wasn’t the lone 1 to blame. But helium lived to a bully aged age, it's bittersweet he’s gone but it’s the extremity of a chapter."

Brendan, who feared helium was going to dice successful the attack, underwent constructive country to repair 1 of his shattered legs and inactive has a "huge gaping hole" successful the other.

But his injuries didn’t halt him continuing his beingness of crime. He was successful and retired of situation implicit the pursuing years for offences including supplying heroin and car theft.

He claimed helium couldn’t enactment due to the fact that of the shooting. But helium admitted: "I was a atrocious lad and being changeable didn’t halt me! I’ve been successful and retired of situation implicit 14 years for burglary, theft, drugs, battle and stuff.

"Three years was for the Tony Martin offence. I pleaded blameworthy to burglary. I’ve done it, I shouldn’t have, truthful spot what I get.' But I yet learned my lesson, transgression doesn’t wage and I’ve been retired of occupation for the past 20 years, not bad."

Brendan said the stigma of the lawsuit has ne'er near him and helium believes the nationalist inactive justice him.

Brendan, who lives successful Nottinghamshire, says helium has present near down his transgression past, telling the Mirror successful his archetypal ever paper interview: "I support myself to myself and don’t privation immoderate bother." He has held down assorted jobs implicit the past including labouring, carpet fitting and being a doorway to doorway salesman.

He said: "I’m a bully bloke now. I've changed. I’m grounded. I privation to enactment and not consciousness similar a dosser but nary 1 wants to springiness maine a occupation due to the fact that of who I am." Brendan has mislaid some his parents to crab - his fractional Jamaican begetter and achromatic mother. He dotes connected his ain household and keeps steadfast and acceptable by moving out.

Brendan said: "My household means everything to maine and I consciousness atrocious for Fred's mum who mislaid her lone lad erstwhile helium was conscionable a kid. I kept offending for years aft that but jailhouse did yet rehabilitate maine and I came to deliberation that if I offended again Fred would person died successful vain. So I stopped, for myself, my household and successful Fred’s memory."

He claims that connected that fateful nighttime astir 26 years agone - which has sparked immense statement - helium had "no intention" of robbing the farmer. He said: "I was retired with Fred and a operator and I thought I was going to assistance the lad merchantability immoderate of immoderate worldly helium has stolen and kept successful a fastener up somewhere.

"I was a dada myself astatine the clip and a begetter fig to small Fred, I wanted to assistance him get a bully terms for his gear." The trio ended up trespassing and helium and Barras were targeted portion the operator got away. Reliving his terrifying ordeal, Brendan, who was hiding with 3 Rottweiler dogs moving loose, said: "I thought I saw a silhouette and a flash of light.

"Suddenly I felt thing successful my leg, determination was humor pouring retired and I thought I’d been bitten by 1 of the dogs which were frothing astatine the mouth. I deliberation the husbandman was retired looking for maine and wanted to sprout maine but each I could perceive were the dogs roaming astir barking."

Re-living his escape, helium said: "I was injured and hurting but I started rolling crossed the crushed past walking. I thought I was going to dice but I kept reasoning of my kids and I had to get to safety. I was rolling and walking and zig zagging crossed the place, it seems I had gone a mile up the roadworthy erstwhile I came to a house.

"I was gasping for enactment and banging connected the windows saying ‘water, water’, and an aged mates past helped me. They turned connected a hose tube successful the plot and I enactment it to my rima portion they called the ambulance. At the clip I had nary thought mediocre Fred was dead. The husbandman didn’t rise the alarm, helium near maine to my ain fate. I deserved that.

"I aboriginal recovered retired helium had climbed up a ladder and had been astatine the apical of a histrion looking down connected america and wherever helium changeable his weapon astatine us. It indispensable person been scary for him with intruders, he’d been done truthful galore times before, truthful you can’t blasted him."

Brendan recovered retired Fred had died portion helium was covering from his appalling injuries successful hospital, saying: "I was shocked and precise sad." He said of his attacker’s condemnation and sentence: "In an perfect world helium didn't merit it but successful a mode helium did due to the fact that helium killed someone.

"He was charged with execution which was aboriginal downgraded to manslaughter and wounding with intent. Martin got 3 years successful the end, possibly a twelvemonth would person been a much suitable punishment. Being successful jailhouse would person wounded him. I’ve been to jailhouse and got different condemnation for burgling him but I tin grip it."

Brendan spent 2 weeks recovering from his shooting successful 1 infirmary earlier being moved to the Queen’s Medical Centre successful Nottingham for integrative surgery. He said: "I could person mislaid my near limb but it was saved. I had immense chunks taken disconnected my backside to reconstruct the leg. One close 1 has a spread successful it and I consciousness a burning sensation 24-7, similar it’s got a lighter connected it."

Brendan told however helium paid his respects to Fred astatine his funeral, attending successful a wheelchair. He revealed: "Family told maine not to go, saying I’d get lynched due to the fact that radical would blasted me. Little Fred ever looked up to maine and astatine the clip I didn’t cognize I was going with him to rob a man.

"I privation the lad hadn’t died, I person to deliberation of Fred's mum and however she indispensable inactive beryllium hurting with the nonaccomplishment of her lone son." He added: "I was trying to support Fred retired of occupation but it got him killed.. It makes maine consciousness awful. He was nary angel but helium was a charismatic small lad who would bash thing for you."

During his spell down bars for the raid connected Martin’s home, Brendan was encouraged to pen his thoughts and helium started penning an relationship of his ordeal. The memoir, which helium hopes whitethorn 1 time beryllium shared, is aptly entitled: "Is Killing for your Castle Justified?"